Container and combined cover and pouring spout



Feb. 2, 1960 M. H. KLAUSMANN 2,923,445

CONTAINER AND COMBINED COVER AND POURING SPOUT Filed 001:. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MILTON H. KLAUSMANN ATTORNEY Feb 1960 M. H. KLAUSMANN 2,923,445

CONTAINER AND COMBINED COVER AND POURING SPOUT Filed Oct. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MILTON H. KLAUfiMANN ATTORNEY CONTAINER AND COMBINED COVER AND POURING SPOUT Milton H. Klausmann, Summit, N.J., assignor to Seal- Spout Corporation, Mountainside, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 8, 1958, Serial No. 766,021

3 Claims. (Cl. 222531) This invention relates to containers for comminuted or granular substances and is particularly directed to containers of the type having a discharge aperture and a closure and pouring spout connected to the container for swinging movement to close the aperture or to open the same so that the contents of the container may be removed through said aperture.

Heretofore, in containers of this general nature, said apertures have been small to provide relatively small pouring lips or spouts and it has been impossible to remove the contents of the containers in any other way than by pouring through said apertures, the apertures being too small for the insertion of spoons or the like.

The known container closures and pouring spouts generally have been formed of sheet metal such as aluminum primarily because the aluminum provides ade quate rigidity and durability, but from the standpoint of economy, it is not feasible to make of aluminum large spouts, for example, spouts of a size adequate to permit the insertion of a teaspoon or tablespoon therethrough, despite the fact that there are many substances, for example, cocoa, that require measurement by a teaspoon or a tablespoon, and such measurement is not convenient when the contents of the container must be poured into a spoon through the known type of small pouring spout. Therefore, a prime object of the presentinvention is to provide a novel and improved container which shall have a discharge opening of such shape and dimensions as to permit the insertion of a spoon through the opening into the container and the removal of a spoonful of the contents of the container through said opening, in combination with a hinged cover and spout to close said discharge opening or to open the same, so that the contents of the container may be lifted out by a spoon or may be poured through the aperture and spout, as desired.

Another object is to provide such a container and combined cover and spout which shall include novel and improved features of construction so that the cover and spout shall be relatively inexpensive and at the same time shall have suflicient strength, rigidity, and durability to permit it to be swung into and out of the discharge opening to close and open the latter without danger of jamming, warping, or bending of the cover and spout. The invention particularly contemplates pouring spouts of the type that include a body portion hinged at one end to the container and having arcuate side flanges concentric with the point of hinging and movable into and out of the container in frictional contact with the side edges of the discharge opening as the spout is moved into closed and open positions, respectively, and a further object of the invention is to provide a container and a novel and improved combined cover and pouring spout in which the body shall comprise aportion of a wall of the container and the side walls or flanges shall comprise pieces of sheet metal rigidly secured to the body portion.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention United States Patent 2 will be brought out by the following description inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container and a combined cover and pouring spout embodying the invention, showing the cover and spout in closed position;

Figure 2 is a similar 'view showing the closure and pouring spout in open position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view approximately 0 the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a similar view on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2; I Figure Sis an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of a portion of the container and the cover and pouring spout in open position as shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional'view on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of another form of container and combined cover and pouring spout embody-.- ing the invention with portions of the container broken away and showing the cover and spout in closed position; Figure 8 is a similar view showing the spout in open position; I

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 99 of Figure 7; V

Figure 10 is,a similar 'view on the plane of the line 10-10 of Figure 8; Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the container and combined cover and spout showing the spout in open position as illustrated in Figure 8; and

Figure l2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 1 12 of Figure 10. For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, it has been shown in connection with the spout of the type shown in Patent No. 2,011,434 dated August 13, 1935. I 11 Specifically" describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in-Figures l to6inclusive, the reference char: acter A designates a container for comminuted, pow dered, or granular fluent material formed of suitable material, preferably cardboard. .The containerhas side walls '1,"end walls 2, and a plurality of top and bottom flapsgenerally designated 3. p 1 7 One vertical wall, in the present instance one end wall 2, has a discharge opening 4 which is shown as formed by displacing from the container wall a portion 5 that is integrally hingedly connected at one end to said wall at the lower end of said opening. The portion 5, in effect, formsa tongue which is of a size and shape to overlie'and substantially close said openingbut can be swung outwardly from the container wall into open position. The tongue 5 serves as the body portion of a combined cover and pouring spout for the opening 4 and. has end walls 6 rigidly secured thereto and formed of some relatively strong, rigid, and smooth material, preferably sheet aluminum. As shown, each endwall comprisesasector-shaped portion 64 that is concentric with the axis 5a of hinging of the body portion Sfand an angularly related attaching flange 6b which is rigidly connected to the body portion 5 byp suitable means, for example, prongs 7 struckupwardly from the flanges, penetrating the bodyportion 5. and clinched thereon as best shown in Figures '1, -2. and 6. The, sector-shaped portions 6q.have some inherent resiliency and normally frictionally engage the juxtaposed endedges of thedis charge opening 4. Desirably, a short tongue 8 extends into the discharge opening atthe upper edge thereofbe tween'theend .walls 6 of the spout to guide the sectorcharge opening 4 and the sector-shaped portions 6a will be disposed within the container, so as to close the discharge, opening as shown in Figures. 1 and}, By swing ing the body. portionof the "spout outwardly or away from the container about its hinged edge, the spout may be moved into open position as shown in Figures 2, .4, and 5. To facilitate grasping of the spout toopenl it, the upper ends of the attaching flanges 6b may have exten sions 9 beyond the free edge of the tongue or, body portion and normally abut the container wall as shown in Figures 1 and 3 so that a fingernail may he slipped beneath one or each of the extensions 9. to initiate opening of the spout, while said extensions will limit closing movement of the spout. i

As shown, to limit opening of the spout, the: inner ends of1 the sector-shaped portions 6a may have lugs 10 to abut the inside of the container wall 2.

A modification of the invention is shown in Figures 7 to 12 inclusive where the cover and spout are embodied in a top wall of a rectangular container B. Said top wall is shown as comprising two end flaps 11, each of which extends integrally fromeach of the end walls 12 of the container, and the two side flaps Band 14 which overlap each other and the end flaps 11, said side flaps extending inwardly from the side walls 15. of the container.

A tongue 16 is cut from the uppermost or outermost side flap .13 and a smaller tongue 17 is cut fromfthe innermost side flap 14, said tongue providing a discharge opening 18 in the container. Preferably, these tongues are integrally hingedly connected at corresponding sides to the respective flaps'13 and 14 asindicated at 19 and 19a, respectively. With this construction, the tongue 17 may be swung into overlying and closing relation to the discharge opening 18. The tongue 16 is wider than the tongue 17 so that the tongue 16 may overlie the'tongue than the width of the portion ofthe container wall that is cut from the wall to form the discharge opening. The

use of a portion of the container wall as the body portion of the cover and spout makes possible a great saving of material and also makes possible the use of the small pieces of metal or the like that form the end walls of i the spout, the cost of which is small when compared with the container contents, but the invention in all cases provides a spout through which the contents may be i changed and the spout may be embodied in other types 17 with its free edge portion lying upon or abutting the innermost flap 14 along one edge portion of the discharge opening at best shown in Figures 8 and 9 The two flaps 16 and 17 preferably-are securedtogether as by adhesive to form the body portion of the cover and spout, and at each end of the body portionis secured an end wall 20 of the same general nature as the end walls 6. Each end wall 20 includes a sector-shaped portion 21 that is concentric with the axes of hin'ging'19, 20, and an attaching flange 22 that is disposed between the two tongues and is rigidly secured thereto by suitable means such as prongs 23 projecting from the attaching flanges, penetrating the tongue 17 and clinchedthereupon'. The sector-shaped portions 21 are inherently resilient, preferably being formed of sheet aluminumand frictionally engage the edges ofthe discharge opening 18.

With this construction, the tongue 17 will normally overlie or lie in the discharge opening' to close the latter and the tongue 16 will overlie the tongue 17 and rest upon the innermost flap 14 in approximately flush relation to the outermost flap 13 as-shown in'Figures 7'and 9. To open the cover and spout, it is merely necessary to insert a fingernail or small pointed instrument beneath the free edge of the tongue 16 and swing the tongue, outwardly from the container as shown in Figures 8,. 10, and11.'

It will be observed that the portion of the tongue 16 that abuts the flap 14 .will prevent'the spout from being pushed into. the container, and the inner ends of. the sector-shaped portions 20 may have lugs 24 to abut the underside of the innermost flap 14 so as to limit opening movement of the spout as best shown in Figure 10.

, It will be noted that both forms of the invention make it possible to economically produce spouts' of any desired size with theme of a minimum amount of expensive poured in a continuous stream, ifdesired,

It will'be understood by those skilled in the art that the body portion of the spout could beformed otherwise than as an intergral part of the container wall or flap,

but the integral formation of the spout body portion with t the container wall'is economical and-eliminates the necessity for separate hinging means.

While two preferred embodiments of the invention have beendllustrated, it should be understood that the construction of the spout may be widely modified and of cartons or containers, all within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is: i

1. The combination of a cardboard container having adischarge opening in one wall thereof and a combined cover and spout including a body portion comprising solely a portion of said container wall that was cut from the container wall to form the discharge opening and is integrally hingedly connected at one end to said'wall at one side of said opening and of a size and shape to overlie and close said opening, separate metal end walls each including a section-shaped portion concentric with the hinge axis, and an attaching flange integrally and angu' larly related to the corresponding sector-shaped portion in abutting overlying relation to said body portion, the total of the widths of said flanges being less than the width of said portion of the container wall, and fastening elements associated with said flanges and secured to said flanges and to said body portion.

2.:The combination as defined said wall. of the container is a top wall formed of outer and inner flaps secured together in superposed abutting relation, and said body portion includes portions of both of said flaps cut out to form the discharge opening with said portion of the outer flap widerthan said portion of the inner flap and in partially overlying and abutting relation to said inner flap, and the last-named means metal, the total of the widths of the attaching flanges in both forms of the invention, being substantially less 3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said wall of the container is a top wall formed of outer and inner flaps securedtogether in superposed abutting relation, and said body portion includes portions of both of said flaps cut out to form the discharge opening with said portion of the outer flap wider than said portion ofthe inner flap and in partially overlying and abutting relation to said inner flap, and the last-named means includes an attaching flange integrally and angularly related to the corresponding sector-shaped portion disposed between said portions of the outer and inner flaps, and prongs projecting integrally from said flanges, penetrating and clinched on said portion of the inner flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,153 Levin, Oct. 19, 1943: 2,778,546 Klausmann Jan. 22, 1957. 2,832,516

in claim 1 wherein UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2323,4 15 February 2, 1960 Milton Ho, Klausmann It is herebjr certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 51 beginning with "the last-named means" strike out all to and including "portion" in line 53, same column 4, and insert instead said attaching flange is line 62 beginning with "the last-named means-" strike out all to and including 'portion" in line 64, same column 4, and

insert instead said attaching flange is line 65 after "and" second occurrence, insert there are Signed and sealed this 4th day of April 1961:.

(SEAL) Attest; ERNEST W. SWIDER ARTHUR w. CROCKER Attesting Officer A ing Commissioner of Patents 

